LakeChamplainChocolates.com: A delicious design

LakeChamplainChocolates.com last year redesigned its e-commerce site to match the sophisticated taste of its gourmet treats. The family-owned company switched e-commerce platforms so it could more easily update the site without I.T. help, widened the site so it fills more of the screen and added more navigation options. It also interweaved storytelling throughout the site—through text, photos and videos—so consumers could learn about the company. “We are a gifts company as much as we are a chocolate company, and consumers love to see the details of what we are doing,” says Greg Tickle, e-commerce manager. The recipe worked: The site converted shoppers at twice the rate as before on key shopping dates during the holiday season. Next up: deploying a mobile site.